Steam-pipe for locomotive-engines.



G. F. HESS.

sTEAM PIPE FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENG5NES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. L914,

1,1%0,03&

Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- G. F. HESS.

STEAM PIPE FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I6, 1914.

.1 ,1%@,Q3& Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

anon

'-'State, of ,Kans-as, ave invented .a certain new anduseful;Improvement 1n ,St'eam- Pipes .tor Locomotrv v Engines, of whichimprovement tl eitollo 'vingus a specification. Myunventlon relates 'tolocomotive steam supply pipes, andr areparticu'larly tothose of theclass termedf outside steam pipes,

and 7 generally, approved. and appliedin recent practice, in 'which theconnection of-the main steam supply pipe @to the distribution va'lvcchests isv effected through pipes 'ex tending: through theshell ofthesmoke box, instead of, as in priorpractic'e, through passages cored'inthe, cylinder saddles. Out side steam pipes are CgfdlllllOSt]iu-niversal adoption in the'latest designs of locomotives 'oftlievai'imls types,now used,-t'or the reason, particularly, t

' the lower portion of the smokeljbox. is relieved l roni a substantialamount of steai'n pipe obstruction, withthe result of improviiig thedraft and facilitating access to the interior of the smoke box,whenrequired.

' The object of my invention. is to provide an outside steam pipeconstruction which shalh'be simple, inexpensive, and of readyapplication in connectionwith-valve chests which are either integralwith the cylinders or detachable therefrom, and by the use of which.steam and air leaks into the smoke box, Whether due to expansion andcontrac-.

tion of pipes or to other causes, may be effectu'ally prevented.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, ofthe right hand cylinder and valve chest, and the adjoining portion ofthe boiler, of a locomotive engine in which my invention is applied;Fig. 2, a central vertical transverse section through the smoke box, thevalve chest of the right hand cylinder being shown as integraltherewith, and that of the left hand cylinder as detachable theret'min;and, Fig. 3, a partial longitudinal central section, on an enlargedscale, Frougrh one of the steam pipes.

My mvention is herein exemplified as applied in a locomotive engine thesmoke box, .1, of the boiler, 2, of Willi h, is, as in ordinarypractice, supported on a pair of half saddles, 3, each of which iscast-integral with a cylinden', and which are secured located, to bybolts, 6

hat hyytheir application,

' box, 2,

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Patented May 13, two,

one to the other and to the side 'i'nein bers, 5, of tlIG'lOCOIIIOiZlVGframe. The supply and exhaust of steam, to and from the cylinders,

are controlled, in the usual manner, by distribution valves'of anysuitable and pre" fer-red construction, which are fitted-to bereciprocated', by proper valve actuating unechanrsms, in valve chests,6, 6 located above the cylinders. In the instance illustrated, the'righthand valve chest, this cast integral with the adjoining cylindeni andthe left hand valve chest, 6, is a separate casting from the cylinderabovewhich it is which it is detachably connected The mainsteam pipe 6rdry pipe o tthe boiler, throughwhich steam is supplied therefrom to thevalve chests and cylinders, is, as usual,'connected, at its forward end,

to a T head, 7, to each of the opposite ends of which there is connecteda branch or 'side steam supply pipe, 8, which follows, as nearly as maybe, the curvature of the smoke and is located as close thereto as isconveniently practicable. It will be obvious to those familiar withlocomotive construction, that in cases where a superheater is applied,the side pipes will be connected to the superheated steam headerthereof, in the ordinary manner. outwardly through late *al openings, 2'in the smoke box. their outer ends projecting a short distancetherefrom, and having circumferential flanges, 8, cast on them. Thelower ends of the side pipes are detachably connected to thedistribution valve chests, through the interniediation of joint sectionpipes, 9, havingcircumferential flanges, 9

and 9", on their upper and their lower ends, respectively, the upperflanges, 9*,being secured to the lower flanges, 8, of the side pipes, bybolts, 10, and nuts, 10", and he.

lower flanges, 9", being similarly secured to flanges, 6, formed aroundsteam admiss'ji passages, (5, in the tops of the valve c 'ie 'a'ts, 6,6' Joint rings, 9, the faces of whit-,h are finished in the form ofsegments'of spheres, are interposed between the adjoining flanges, andbrought to a properly tigl. 1' bearing thereon by the connectingbolts'an il nuts, in order to insure steam tight joints. 1.:

It is, as is well recognized in the peration of locomotives, of materialimp-,tance to prevent leakage of air into the idioke box, and havingthis requirement view, my invention is specially designer: to enable airThe side pipes, 8, extend tight-joints between the side steam pipes, b,

and the smoke box, to be readily'made and effectively maintained. Tothis end, acircumferential flange, 8, the outer face of which is curvedto a radius of the inside of the smoke box, 2, or, correspondingly, of af reinforcing plate, 2 fitted therein, 1s

v formed on each of the side steam pipes, 8,

said flanges fitting closely against the inside of the smoke box or ofthe reinforcing plate,

around the opening, 2, and being secured tightly to the smoke box bybolts, 8, and nuts, 8.

Asbestos packing, 8 may, if desired, be fitted around the bolts, 8.

It will. be seen that the construction above described presents theadvantages, in addrtion to those of simplicity and inexpensiveness, ofenabling a detachable valve chest to be readily removed and replacedwhenever required, without breaking any joint be tween the adjoiningsteam pipe and the smoke box; of atl'ording such flexibility in theconnections between the -T head and valve chests as facilitates accuratefitting and allows for expansion and contraction under variations oftemperature; 0f eliminating steam joints between the lower ends of theside steam pipes andtheir connections, inside of the smokes; box; and ofso making and locating theair joints between thepipes and smoke box thatthey are accessible from the outside of the smoke box and may betightened by an ordinary calkins tool whenever required.

' hile myinvention is herein exemplified as appiied with the form ofsmoke box which is most generally in use, that is to say, one which isdirectly interposed between the discharge ends 01 the tubes andthe'stack, it will beobvious that it is equally applicable in eii'ectingthe connection of a .lated locomotives. I do not, therefore, limit myinven to the specific location at which the steam supply pipe isconnected to the boiler shell, and in using the term smoke box, intendit to apply to any chamber or receptacle of a boiler through whichproducts of combustion traverse in their passage fromthetubes to thestack.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent: v

'1; The combination, with a boiler having an opening in its shell, ofasteam supply pipe which pro jccts outwardly through said opening and isprovided with 'a'circumferential flange secured directly to the shellaround said opening, and a distribution valve chest connected to saidpipe exteriorly to said opening.

2. The -combination, with a boiler smoke box having an opening in itsshell, of .a

steam supply pipe which projects outwardly through said opening and isprovided with a circumferential-flange secured directly to the smoke boxaround said opening, and a distribution valve chest connected to saidpipe exterior-1y to said opening.

3. The combination of a boiler smoke box, a distribution valve chest, asteam supply iae andmeans for formin' an air 'oint directly between saidpipe and the smoke box, and connecting said pipe and the valve chestthrough a steam joint Wholly exterior to the smoke box.

4, The combination, with a boiler smoke box having an opening initsshell, of a steam supply pipe which projects outwardly through saidopening and is provided with a circumferential flange secured directlyto the smoke box around said opening and a circumferential flange on itsend exterior thereto, adistribution valve chest, and a joint sectioninterposed between, and connected at its opposite ends to, the outer endflange of the steam pipe and the valve chest.

7 GEORGE RHESS. Witnesses:

. J NO. W. SHAW, HL'A. MAHAN.

